Cultivation equipment manufacturer Grégoire Besson UK Group and seeding and fertilisation equipment manufacturer Sulky Burel UK have appointed Robert Thurkettle as managing director for the UK market.
Last year, the family-owned French machinery manufacturers agreed to collaborate on the sales, marketing and customer service of Grégoire Besson, Sulky Burel and Rabe products in the UK, sharing a head office and a parts distribution centre in Bourne, Lincolnshire. Robert will be working closely with Ailsa Walker who has overseen the restructure and growth of the two businesses since 2017.
Robert has many years of experience in the farm machinery sector; as a farm manager for Sentry Farming, in sales at John Deere dealer Ben Burgess, and as dealer principal at AGCO dealer Thurlow Nunn Standen in Ely, Cambridgeshire. More recently, he managed area sales for market-leading GPS equipment supplier, LH Agro.
“The UK market is very important to both Grégoire Besson and Sulky Burel,” he said. “My focus will be on continuing to build the presence of both brands in this competitive market, and supporting our sales, parts, and head office team to capitalise on the opportunities for growth.”
Grégoire Besson was founded in 1802 by Joseph Grégoire and remains an independent family company. Managed by Patrick Besson, the company has an annual turnover of €80 million. The company employs 600 people across seven European production sites.
Part of the Grégoire Besson Group, Rabe makes ploughs, cultivators and drills in Germany. Sulky Burel was founded in 1936 by Fabien Burel and remains a family business. Managed by Julien Burel, Sulky employs 250 people across three French production sites and in 2015 generated a turnover of €42 million.
